December 13, 2019

Shea Links: December

At Shea, we pride ourselves on staying on top of what’s happening in design news. It helps us keep tabs on what’s fresh, inspiring, and happening in the world—and we make a few headlines of our own, too. Here are some recent articles delving into design, experience, and what’s buzzing in our community:
“10 Restaurant Disruptors for the Next Decade” – FSR:
The National Restaurant Association and a team of futurists from Foresight Alliance partnered to look ahead to ten prospective disruptors for the restaurant industry based on what’s happening right now. These include intelligent restaurants, more growth for third-party delivery apps and off-premises ordering, non-food companies offering edible options, kitchen robots, even more food halls and markets as brick-and-mortar retail (and malls) declines, the impact of climate change, and more.
“P.S. Steak Wins the Eater Award for Design of the Year” – Shea:
The Eater 2019 Awards are out, and Shea swept up the Design of the Year award with our luxe design at P.S. Steak, in partnership with Jester concepts. Praising our renovation of the historic, iconic 510 Groveland space, the award gives special note to the dark, rich dining room and brand-new cocktail bar.
“Fourth Floor, Men’s Wear. Fifth Floor, Martinis.” – New York Times:
New York City department stores are adding bars in droves—from the basement bar in the new Nordstrom flagship to the new-ish Le Chalet at Saks, they’re adding chic cocktail bars as an amenity for shoppers and a draw for drinkers. Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus are also getting in on the action. Bars not only serve the same purpose as department-store restaurants (keeping shoppers in the store longer), but they give a sleek, stylish new spot for shoppers to hang out and immerse themselves in the experience.
“2019 Was the Year of the Serif” – Eater:
Eater dives into 2019’s food-branding trends, with serif fonts at the top of the list this year. This piece examines a handful of brands and products, noting how serif fonts lend a rounder, softer vibe to them—both visually and in concept. After several years of sleeker fonts (particularly with future-looking startups) and minimalist aesthetics, brands have shifted to the more comforting attitude of serif fonts, especially paired with pastel colors to make products seem friendlier and more artisan.
“11 Hot Markets for Quick-Service Restaurant Growth” – QSR:
Quick-service restaurants are still on the rise all around the country, and QSR breaks down the good and bad of 11 major markets where they’re growing fastest. New York, for example has the benefits of population and diversity, but the drawbacks of competition and rent and labor costs. In Los Angeles, visibility and good weather, along with year-round produce and more, are pros, but cons include real-estate costs and walkability. The list also includes Miami, Austin, Atlanta, Chicago, Philadelphia, Denver, DC, Boston, and Seattle—a good background on major markets for restaurants as a whole.
“Shea to Design New MFU/Birchwood Alliance Restaurant in Former Spoonriver Space” – Shea:
A roundup of news on the passing of the Spoonriver space to the MFU/Birchwood Alliance for Shea to create a new restaurant identity and space.
“Office of the Future: More Perks, Less Personal Space” – Wall Street Journal:
The workplace debate continues to spark conversation—this piece dives into the idea of providing less personal space for employees, but more perks. Major corporations are beginning to cut down on desk and private space in their office headquarters (with many moving to a “hot-desking” format in lieu of assigned seating), instead using square footage for meeting and breakout areas, along with amenities like pools and sports areas. Furthermore, with open offices still the choice of many companies (but many with added quiet spaces for privacy), what space is devoted to which divisions can signal where they plan to focus attention. They’re also embracing technology, with in-office apps to control temperature and piped-in white noise—and on the opposite end of the spectrum, further emphasis on biophilia to bring indoor workers closer to nature.
“These Will Be the Biggest Food Trends of 2020, According to Chefs” – Food & Wine:
Food & Wine chats with top chefs around the country to see what they’re predicting will come next in the food world. More sustainability and environmental awareness, hyper-regional cooking, creative pairings, an emphasis on plant and vegetable-based dishes, interactive and family-style dining, smoked and fire-cooked food, and more are on the worth-reading list, which covers everything from kids’ menus to immigration and first-generation cooking.
 “Using Workplace Design to Reflect Brand Values” – Work Design:
In a piece that clearly reflects the Shea ethos of a space working as an extension of its brand, Work Design delves into how office design across industries should be an embodiment of a company’s vibe, principles, and mission. Workplace design can be a catalyst for change in a company’s operations, but needs to go back to its core values to ground the business—so determining those values from the start of the design process is key to success before integrating them by way of technology, branding, materials, furniture, etc. Equally important are designing with wellness in mind (a must as companies embrace efforts for employee health in all aspects) and creating spaces for the individual as well as the company as a whole.
“Fall 2019” – Shea:
The newest Shea Ink, featuring Demi, Colle McVoy, the St. James Hotel, Jinx Tea, Bacon Social House, and P.S. Steak